"This eye, I can feel it and I can tell that its very similar to your own. What is it, and why did you give it to him?" Artemis spoke after she stepped a few steps away from Ulrich. Inari continued working on Ulrich's core, refusing to look up at Artemis and not speaking a word for a few moments. Artemis was about to repeat herself but was stopped when Inari finally replied, though she refused to look away from what she was doing.
"What it is, should be obvious to you young goddess. It is a divine eye, to be specific, it is the divine eye of a nine-tailed fox that managed to attain divinity. At the end of her long life, she decided to remain mortal and experience death as all mortals do, but not before giving me her eyes to gift to one whom I deem worthy. Why I gave it to him is very simple, he will be facing a trial far greater than any mortal his age should have to. I gave him this gift, because it will help him when the time comes." Inari finally looked up from Ulrich's unconscious body for the first time since she began to work on it. Her eyes locked directly onto Artemis's, for a moment, it felt as if Inari was looking directly into her soul. "I know you can feel it young goddess, the ever growing divinity that has begun to saturate the air. What is coming is unavoidable, but I will offer what little assistance I can to help mitigate the losses."
"You make it sound like this is a hopeless situation." Artemis said while taking a small step forwards. "Yet, you still offer assistance. You want to believe that he can overcome the inevitable fall, don't you?" Inari pulled her hands away from his body, the light from her hands dimming until no light remained. The wounds that remained on Ulrich's body were superficial compared to before. In fact, Artemis could feel a pulse of power come from him. It reminded her of the time when they were in the forest all those years ago. A feeling that seemed to draw her to him. Inari's eyes narrowed for a moment, before returning to normal. The corners of her mouth slightly raising.
"Do I believe that the situation will end in Camelot's fall? If you want me to answer with logic, then yes. However, I prefer the illogical answer, the answer that believes that Ulrich will be able to make a miracle happen." Inari looked back down towards Ulrich, the small smile on her lips seemed almost remorseful. "I would like to be there when he beats the odds, however, I must return to my own lands. I have given what aid I can, though, I suppose I'll leave one more gift for him once he awakes. I still have one more stop to make after all." Inari then began to make her way towards the exit of the room, before leaving she left Artemis with something to think on. "I saw the way you reacted to him earlier, to the power inside of him. Ask the dragon about his birth when you next see her, it may prove enlightening." She turned to the three women still inside of the room, bowing respectfully, "It has been a pleasure to speak with you Artemis, may we meet again in the future."
Inari disappeared through the door, her aura simply vanishing as if it never existed in the first place. Artemis did have more questions, but they mattered very little now that she knew Ulrich was now healed. She looked back and saw the two guards, Maria and Boudica, inspecting the areas where his wounds were previously. Artemis wasn't interested in the physical wounds, so she looked deeper, into the soul. She saw the same thing she saw many years ago, his blue soul with spots of divinity managing to peek through. Though, now it seemed as if the radiance of the divinity was beginning to shine even brighter than it did before. Artemis could only hope that her friend would rise from his slumber soon. She could feel them coming, growing closer and closer. She would have to return to the sanctuary and continue with her plan to speak with the gods of Camelot. Without speaking a word, she left the room, passing by a worried dragon in the halls.
Outside of Camelot, to the far north laid a large village. The wooden walls had all been burnt to the ground along with most of the houses that were within them. Despite managing to evacuate most of the women and children, the attack still laid waste to all that remained. Bodies of villages defenders and hunters were strewn across the ground. Within the town square, stood four people. Three stood side by side, they were Neit, Bellona, and Deimos, two deities of war and one of terror. Standing across from them was Andraste, another warrior goddess, defiantly blocking their way. The three gods' invading force was now reduced to a small force who were sent to capture those that escaped. Andraste stood tall, her fiery red braid being swept by the wind, a modified helmet that resembled a roman legionary covering the rest of her hair, scale mail was worn over her brown tunic, her skirt was torn revealing scale greaves and chainmail that stopped at her knees. Blue tribal markings could be seen on her lightly tanned arms, only hidden by the vambraces and gloves she wore. She held up her spear and shield in a defensive stance, ready to react to any who may attempt to attack her. Despite the disadvantage, a smirk was still present on her face. Neit stepped forward to speak, stopping at the edge of Andraste's striking range.
"Why must you continue to stand against us? Look around you Andraste, you have already lost. Surrender, and join us as a fellow war god." Neit spoke, stabbing his sword into the ground and lifting his hand up in a gesture of good faith. Andraste's eyes narrowed at his words and scoffed at his gesture.
"I don't see how I have lost Neit, for as long as I draw breath, there will always be a chance of victory." Neit sighed at her words. "As to why I stand against you, that is simple. You and the ones you serve seek to enslave humanity, if not destroy them, that is something I not only refuse to take part in, but also refuse to allow to happen." Andraste took a step back when she noticed Bellona and Deimos begin to box her in.
"Andraste, you know as well as I do, that what we seek to do is for the greater good. If we allow them to do as they please, they will interfere in our divine affairs. Camelot is one such example, they will impede us. This world is wasted on them Andraste. Surely, even you can see that. Once we deal with those loyal to Ashera, us remaining gods can lead these humans to be better than they are. They will no longer doubt us, no longer defy us, no longer destroy our world, no longer corrupt the lands with stagnation, and will be rewarded for causing our strength to grow with their worship. They will take their rightful place beneath us, fulfilling the role they were destined for." Neit's voice was certain and filled with confidence. For some divine beings, his words may sway their allegiance and beliefs, the promise of greater divinity and worship was hard to pass up for most gods. However, Andraste was not most gods.
"I see,..." Bellona and Deimos stopped in their tracks, even Neit's breath hitched, as they all felt Andraste's divinity spike. Her divine form then manifested, though, she was a goddess who kept her mortal form the same as her divine one. The main differences was when she removed her helmet, revealing a crown of divine light and a darker shade of red hair. Her spear seemed to shed like a snake, revealing a spear by the name Boadicea, a spear named after one of the warrior queens whom she favored. Andraste showed a sinister smile to Bellona, swearing to pierce her heart with the spear in remembrance of its namesake. "Then I really can't allow you all to win this war. I will stand with humanity, for as long as I stand, they shall never know defeat!"
"First Nemain, then Badb, now you, why do you side with these inferior beings and try to deny us our chosen battlefield?! As a goddess of war you should know that you stand on the losing side!" Neit drew his sword from the ground and gripped it tight, his knuckles turning white and his teeth grinding in fury.
"Enough, Neit, she has made her choice. Let's kill her and be done with it. The others will escape if we don't hurry." Bellona urged, her patience wearing thin. Neit, looked at her and Deimos, then to Andraste.
"Very well, let us be done with this." Before they attacked, Andraste couldn't help but point out a problem with their plan.
"I believe you are all too late to do anything about those we evacuated. They are all on their way to Canterbury, where Branwen will offer them protection. Even if your soldiers caught up, Harmonia, Brigid, and Skadi will be able to protect them." She saw the three gods frown in displeasure.
"It matters not, what can the three of them do against gods suited for combat? You are only one goddess, we will make short work of you and proceed with our objective. No matter what happens, there is no victory for you here." Bellona spoke with an arrogant tone. Andraste smiled, not a vindictive smile, nor a smile of sadness. It was a smile filled with hope and certainty.
"Wrong, I have said it before and I shall say it again. For as long as I stand, for as long as my lungs draw breath, for as long as my heart beats, victory shall always be within reach! It seems none of you truly know whom your opponent is. So, I shall enlighten you. I am Andraste, the Goddess of Victory, and I will be your opponent!" A flash of light exploded forth and Andraste thrust her spear forward.
Elsewhere, Zeus, Odin, Maeve, Chernobog, Guinevere, Hera, and Ra were standing before Gaia, Athena, Lugh, Astraea, Tyr, Lia, Apollo, Elaine, Eostre, Scathach, Horus, Set, and even Eris. The heavens were thundering and shaking, the power of the those gathered would have sent many weaker beings to their knees. Despite all the gods gathered against them, Zeus and his allies managed to cause break the barrier holding them back. The sound of breaking glass resounded through the heavens. Soon, a loud roar of applause and cheering began to resonate throughout, though it soon it soon died out when Zeus and his allies all raised their hands to silence them. It would have been painfully obvious to anyone observing that the armies of Zeus and his allies outnumbered those of Gaia's and those with her.
Gaia and her allies each appeared to be in varying degrees of exhaustion. After Zeus and Odin heard about the fall of Camelot's king, along with knowing that most of the human settlements were all in states of distress and/or recovery, he sent some of the gods to attack Camelot's allies, as well as the other kingdoms that refused to bow to the whims of the gods. Gaia immediately informed the gods who wished to protect humanity about the situation, before deciding to stall as many of the gods as she could. Many had already departed to Earth or retreated farther out into the heavens to regroup with their allies, most notably, the deities of love. Athena, Astraea, Eostre, Scathach and Eris were the first to gather to Gaia to confront and stall enemies of humanity. The twin sisters, Lia and Elaine, new gods who represented peace and light, respectively, joined shortly after they heard news of some of their chosen children being killed during the first wave sent out. Lugh, Horus, and Set sided with Gaia after Lia and Elaine confronted Zeus and his allies about the massacres being committed. Both sides began to fight, and, despite holding a numerical advantage, Gaia's group was being overwhelmed. Then Tyr and Apollo betrayed their own allies, allowing Gaia, Athena, Horus, Elaine, Eostre, and Scathach to cast a magic barrier created by Athena that allowed each pantheon to imbue their specific brand of magic into it, locking Zeus and his allies inside.
Now, Gaia and the others were out of time. They had held them back long enough, the gods who sided with humanity had plenty of time to prepare, and the humans were planning to fight back had enough time to gather their resources. Hopefully, it would be enough. Zeus stepped forward, Gaia turned to look at Athena and nodded to her. Athena discreetly signaled Scathach and Astraea, who both began to ready their magic. "It's over Gaia, enough of this foolishness. No matter what you do, the war with the underworld will come to pass and humanity will be captured and held to ensure they cannot be used against us during the war. All you and those arrogant humans who believe they can stand against us are doing, is simply causing more deaths that could be avoided. If you cease these actions now, we will be willing to offer you all a collection of the humans to maintain your divinity after we win the war. Continue this rebellion, and the verdict will be death." Gaia only shook her head in response, she knew those words were meant for the gods behind her. As she was a titan and an aspect of the world itself, she had no need for followers and the like.
"Zeus, even if I withdrew, nothing would change. There would still be those who would defy you. Some have grown to love humanity, some have married humans and had families, some are intrigued by them, some like to push them and see them reach new heights, whatever the reason, there will always be one of us that stands against you. It saddens me Zeus, to see you and the other elder gods be so stuck in your ways that you do not see the potential and beauty of humanity. You wish to enslave them, to strip them of their free will, and destroy those who wish to be more than your divine batteries. You see beings who are lesser than you and disregard all those who speak otherwise. I can see it in all of your eyes,..." Gaia looked at each of those gathered in front of her, "none of you can fathom why your fellow gods, some of which are your own family, would openly defy and stand against you. Soon, you will see why, the answer will come to you, but then it will be too late, and you will pay for your ignorance with your lives."
"Then we have your answer. As no one else has stepped forward to take my offer, then I suppose there is no more use talking,..." Zeus raised his hand into the air, a hand readying itself to grip an unseen weapon, when Eris stepped forward and spoke out. Her words not intended for Zeus or the other greater gods, but for those behind them.
"All of you are fools! This is one of your kings who will lead you to victory? He will end up leading you all to your deaths! Do none of you understand what he is doing? If he has his way, he will use the humans who survive to empower himself, leaving only the smallest vestiges for all of you. The Sky Lords only want to remain in power and refuse to tell you the truth, which is that if they win and they have their way, many of the gods will die out or lose their divinity and become mortal. They will completely control what the humans pray for and remove the need for other gods, such as the gods of war! Can't you all see? Come, fight with us, protect humanity, protect those who gave you form and power,..." before Eris could continue, a crack of thunder was heard, and in Zeus's hand was his thunderbolt.
"Enough!" It was obvious that the Sky Lords were immune to the divinity within Eris's words. However, Eris's words weren't for them, it was for the army behind them. It was for all of the gods who were still listening. Eris may not have been able to physically fight against these opponents, but her talents meant that she didn't have too. When all was said and done, Eris was and always will be, the Goddess of Strife and Discord. With her divinity, the seeds of doubt were planted. A wicked smile graced her lips, Eris would be sure to remind them how dangerous she could be to those who displeased her.
Zeus quickly threw his bolt, aiming directly at the group of rebel gods, only for a bright light to envelope them. The lightning bolt hit the ground and a large explosion rocked the surrounding area. When everything cleared up, the group of rebels had disappeared without a leaving a single trace of magic left behind. Zeus could tell that it was more than likely Athena, Astraea, and Scathach's combined efforts. Whatever the case, it was clear by now, that Gaia had managed to buy time for all of those who stood with humanity. Not only that, but Eris's divine words would fester within the ranks, potentially breeding spies. Thankfully, Eris didn't get to speak to much or offer up any evidence to back up her claim. However, it was clear that she was now one of the gods they must hunt down. With the extra time Gaia had bought, there was clearly going to be many hurdles they would have to overcome, especially concerning the underworld. If the rebel gods and humans manage to convince those in the underworld to join them, then the war will become something that isn't particularly favorable towards them. If Zeus knew this, then it was obvious that the others did as well. They must have come up with the same idea. Strangely, it was Guinevere, the goddess of the sky and Queen of the New Gods, that decided to speak up first, Ra, Odin, and Maeve stood behind her.
"Zeus, we have all come to a decision, we are sure that you have come to the same conclusion as us. If we are to maintain a strong front to the underworld and keep the humans reminded of our power, while also gaining multiple moving fortresses, then we must perform a full descent." Guinevere spoke with in a clear, strong voice. "I shall now take my leave and hunt down those who have rebelled against us." A flash of light and she was gone. As if waiting for Guinevere, the others all disappeared in flashes of light, leaving Zeus before his own kingdom.
An owl landed atop a tree in the middle of a small forest, two women wearing customized shrine priestess outfits could be seen stopping the cleaning they were tasked with in order to stare out into the distance. A small clearing in the trees allowed them to see a sight that had happened only once before. Emerging from the clouds in the high in the sky, was a large landmass, an enchanting castle resting on top of it. It was the home of the New Gods, Utopia. The two then felt another spike of divinity, the same as the one coming from Utopia, and quickly turned to see Asgard falling from the sky before stopping and hovering in the air. The owl quickly took flight, noticing that more of the heavenly cities were appearing. She had to get word to their allies. It was time for this war to finally begin.